The Arcadia Chronicles
by banjo2E
Summary: The skies of Arcadia are slightly different this time around. A retelling of the entire story, but right off the bat, you can tell some things aren't the same as the game...
1. Prologue: Speech to the Public

**Prologue: Speech to the Public**

_There are many worlds in this universe, and only a few support life. The first species to attain sentience, known to us only as the Earliest, found the secret ways to create true life suited to any environment._

_One of their vessels came here, to this world, and discovered a land unlike any other. There was almost no solid or liquid matter across the entire globe, yet its atmosphere was more than capable of supporting life, thanks to the blessings of its six Moons of nature, cold, heat, fluidity, electricity, and, of course, void. After much deliberation, the Earliest decided bringing life to this world could be done, and they set about bringing life into being that could survive on this land._

_Their task took centuries, but the Earliest had discovered how to live a thousand years through the power of the Void, as we have. They watched, and waited, and at last, the skies were filled with creatures that had the power to fly, an ability that was vital to survival on this empty world._

_The Earliest, their task completed, took their craft through the void between the Moons, towards their next destination on their never-ending mission._

_And thus Arcadia, our world, was born._

_We, the Silvites, the first to follow the Earliest into the heavens, are tasked with guarding Arcadia from its greatest threat._

_Now this threat rears its head once again, and we must do whatever it takes to stop it. Those who know of what I speak, you know your duties. Carry them out faithfully. Those of you who are too young, remain strong and listen to your elders, especially in this time of crisis._

_Children of the Silver Moon, you must persevere. Remember the ancient teachings._

_Never give up the Mission. Never let down the Elders. Never desert the Cause._

_-Raco Minster, Silvite Primus_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **_**…Never let your Ommet die, never say to us, "Goodbye," never think sailors won't lie, and hurt you…**_

**I hope you guys don't figure out the backstory **_**too **_**quick.**


	2. Chapter 1: A Dark And Stormy Night

**Chapter One: It Was A Dark And Stormy Night**

It was a dark and stormy night. Thankfully, it would not be so for much longer. The storm was all but finished, and sunrise was less than half an hour away.

Admiral Alfonso took out his hand mirror and checked his appearance. It was still immaculate, as it should be, especially on such a glorious occasion as this.

"Fire concussion shells at the girl, but try to avoid hitting her ship. We need her alive, after all."

Alfonso didn't care much for his current flagship, the Taurus. It was much too ugly. Thankfully, the Cygnus would finish construction by the time he returned to Valua.

Alfonso checked his reflection again. Still perfect. Good.

"Vice-Captain, come with me. I wish to inspect the girl…personally."

* * *

"Captain, the Valuans have just taken the girl onto their ship."

"Excellent," said Dyne Inglebard, captain of the Albatross. "Boarding parties, get ready, we'll want to do this one quick. Take us up, Briggs."

"Aye-aye, sir," replied the vice-captain and helmsman. "They won't know what hit them."

* * *

"Sir! It's an emergency! A ship is rising from the clouds off the port side! The flag…they're Air Pirates!"

"What?!" exclaimed Alfonso. "How did they get so close to my ship? Clouds or no, aren't you paid to find these braggards BEFORE they get close enough to board us?"

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" cried the guard. "It's still dark, visibility is poor!"

"Bah! All hands to battlestations! Guards, on deck! Don't let them inside! Vice-captain, you're with me! Carry the girl!"

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

The Albatross and the Taurus were now firmly attached to one another. As the Taurus's guards reached the deck, a figure wielding a pair of red swords slid down a rope from the Albatross's crow's nest and landed in the middle of their lead squad's formation.

The soldiers had been trained well. They were more than fast enough to alter their formation into a loose circle, tight enough to prevent the newcomer from sneaking up on them, but loose enough to permit them to avoid being snuck upon by the other pirates they knew were coming.

What they were not expecting was that their opponent was a youth, barely even sixteen, if even that. He wore a blue tunic with detachable sleeves, brown boots, and a red bandana. His brown hair partially obscured his right eye, but it was obvious it had an eyepatch over it. He also had a scar on his left cheek, so perhaps he wasn't a complete pushover after all.

The teen stood up, grinning. "Hi there. You must be the guards of this vessel. My name is Vyse, of the Dyne Blue Rogues. And in a few minutes, I'll be relieving you of all your valuables.

Whoever this kid was, he was way too overconfident, and while Valuan soldiers should remain wary of all possible threats, he needed to be taken down a peg. "Air Pirate scum! Don't you know we're Valuan Imperial soldiers?

Vyse just widened his ship-eating grin. "Of course. That's why we picked you. You guys have the best stuff."

"Heh. You're still attacking us by yourself. You may be brave, but you're also stupid. We'll be tossing you overboard shortly."

"Wait for me!" Another figure launched off the Albatross. The guards altered their formation once again, this time forming a half-circle away from the pirate ship. The newcomer was a girl just as young as the boy wearing leather armor that, in traditional pirate style, was rather revealing without skimping on protection. Her weapon was a large green boomerang. "Vyse, you left without me! I can't let you have all the fun!"

The girl stood up and deadpanned, "Oh, hey. I'm Aika. I'm with him. And we're robbing you."

The guards had had enough by this point, though. "You'll pay for your insolence, scum! Kill them, and toss their bodies into Deep Sky!"

The squad rushed towards their opponents, who somehow managed to dodge their blades. The last thing the squad leader saw was the hilt of a cutlass between his legs and moving swiftly upward.

* * *

"Resistance…is futile. Drop your weapons and surrender your ship."

That's what Vyse wanted to say, but he managed to get as far as "is" before the rest of the guards had poured onto the deck. "Imbeciles. You two may be good enough to take down a single squad of Valuan soldiers, but do your really think you can take down nine?

A burst of gunfire rang out. "I'm sorry, I think you miscounted. I only see eight squads up here."

Dyne Inglebard and his squad reloaded their rifles. "We'll take care of these guys. You two, head to the bridge and shut down the engines."

"Aye-aye, Dad," replied Vyse, who bolted toward the emergency hatch that Aika was pulling open.

As he and Aika jumped down into the ship, he heard his father shout after him, "When we're out here, it's 'Captain!'"

* * *

Reaching the bridge of a Valuan battleship from the nose's maintenance passages was more of a chore than Vyse and Aika expected. Eventually, they made it to the secondary cannon room, and found a surprise.

"Well, well. Air pirates have decided to…infest my ship."

The two looked up to see an immaculately-dressed and highly decorated Valuan officer on the walkways above, accompanied by a soldier…carrying an unconscious girl. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alfonso, the oldest and most cherished son of one of Valua's most distinguished families…and an Admiral of the Imperial Armada.

Vyse chuckled. "Well, well. I never thought someone of such…stature would stoop to kidnapping."

Alfonso merely smiled. "You're quite observant, for a Rogue. However, I'm afraid I do not have time to chat. I have urgent business to attend to. If you'll excuse me, I must be going."

The two Valuans disappeared from sight, and the Rogues immediately raced after him.

* * *

The lifeboat bay doors opened up to a beautiful Mid Ocean sunrise. Alfonso wished he had time to appreciate it. "Conditions are perfect, sir. We should depart with haste."

"I agree. However, I'm afraid I need to make some minor adjustments to the flight plan."

"What do you mean, sir?"

Alfonso pulled out his rapier and leveled it swiftly at his vice-captain's neck. "W-what are you doing, e-excellency?!" stammered the officer.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow anyone to believe that an Admiral of the invincible Imperial Armada lost a flagship to pirates in a fair fight. I'll need a scapegoat, and unfortunately, you're the only one I have. I want you to know that you have served me well. May the Moons have mercy on your soul." With that, he shoved his vice-captain off the edge of the launching platform.

Alfonso knew he would hear the screams in his nightmares for months, but regrettably, it had to be done. He sheathed his blade and turned around to get the girl, but to his horror found that the two pirates had already arrived.

"So, this is how Valua treats its people." Vyse brought up his blades and walked forward. "After seeing you murder an innocent man in cold blood, I cannot allow you to walk away. Draw your blade, Alfonso."

Alfonso didn't waste any time. He knew full well that his swordsmanship was subpar. He immediately dashed for the lifeboat, and before the Rogue could reach him, he took off. As he flew away, he shouted back, "You will rue the day you stood against the Armada! We shall meet again!"

* * *

"Well, he was a coward, but he was a coward with gold."

The Blue Rogues were bringing as much loot as they could off the ship. They wouldn't have too much time before the guards woke up, but based on what was on board, they wouldn't need it. Vyse looked at Aika as she continued, "The guys back home are gonna be impressed with this one. We haven't had a catch this big in some time."

Vyse looked over towards the girl lying in the stretcher as she was handed over to the Albatross. "I wonder what Valua wanted with her. She sure doesn't look like she's from around here."

"That's for sure. I've never seen anyone dressed like that. I wonder where she's from…"

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this is only the beginning and already it's long as crap. On a side note, I know Alfonso's game version was utterly incompetent, but come on, even a blue-blood nobleman has to have **_**some**_** talent to become an Admiral.**


	3. Chapter 2: The Pirates' Bay

**Chapter Two: The Pirates' Bay**

"_Yarr, harr, fiddle-dee-dee_

_Bein' a pirate is all right with me_

_Do what'cha want, 'cause a pirate is free_

_You are a pirate!"_

The Albatross's crew was in too high of spirits to put off celebrating all the way to Pirate Isle. Vyse could hear them singing all the way down in the lower cabins. Perversely, he hoped it would rouse the girl in the bed next to him; she hadn't woken up since the Blue Rogues had rescued her.

"_It…looks like she's fine now," _Vyse thought to himself,_ "but she could still have been permanently injured. Ben said that it didn't look like any of those shells hit that ship she was on directly, but those Valuans weren't exactly treating her like royalty. If she doesn't wake up, we'll have to have Mom take a look at her."_

She wore a long, white dress with some gold trimming, for lack of better terms; the design and material were things nobody on the ship had ever seen, or indeed, heard of before.

"Hey, Vyse, we're going back on duty in five minutes. How is she?"

Vyse turned to his friend. "Her breathing's more regular now. I think she'll be all right now."

Aika looked back at the bed. After a few seconds, her face lit up. "Hey, look! I think she's coming to!"

So she was. The girl moaned softly, then opened her eyes and sat up. _"Green eyes on a blond…what an interesting combination,"_ thought Vyse.

"Um…wh-who are you? Where am I?" asked the girl.

"You're aboard our ship, the Albatross, and I'm Vyse. Don't worry, there aren't any Valuan troops anywhere around here, so you'll be fine.

"Y-yes. Um…thank you very much." The girl seemed a bit uncertain at his words, but given what had happened to her that morning, this was understandable.

Naturally, Aika chuckled at this. "You don't need to thank us, it's just part of our jobs as Air Pirates! My name's Aika. Nice to meet you. Could you tell us your name?"

"My name…my name is Fina."

Vyse thought a compliment was in order; Fina didn't look too happy and it could cheer her up. "Fina, huh? That's a great name. It's so…so…" Vyse grasped for words for a moment. "…feminine," he finished lamely.

"R…really? You think so?" Fina didn't seem to react one way or another.

"Man…you try to compliment someone, and…nothing. No reaction whatsoever."

Aika laughed out loud. "Vyse, that wasn't much of a compliment! You, my friend, have a LOT to learn about women."

Vyse thought he heard Fina giggle softly, though he couldn't be sure, especially after she asked, "E-excuse me, but what exactly is an Air…Air Pirate?"

This was just such a crazy question that all Vyse could do was exchange a blank stare with Aika, then blurt out, "You were out sailing by yourself, and you don't even know what an Air Pirate is?"

Fina blushed. "I-I'm sorry, it's my first time traveling, so…"

Vyse felt bad about his outburst, and decided to make up for it by answering her question. "Well, basically, Air Pirates are sailors that attack other ships and steal their cargo."

"Steal!?" Fina exclaimed, horrified.

Aika quickly intervened. "You don't have to worry about us, we're Blue Rogues. See, Air Pirates are divided into two factions. Black Pirates attack anything in the sky, especially things that can't fight back. Us Blue Rogues, however, only go for armed vessels, especially the Imperial Armada." She looked at Vyse expectantly; evidently it was his turn to speak again.

"We rob from the rich, and keep the gold. But, we use it to help people who need it. That's why we rescued you. Don't worry, we're not trying to kidnap you or anything. Just relax and enjoy the trip."

"Um…sure. Did…did you manage to get my ship as well?"

Vyse's face fell. "I'm sorry, Fina, it fell into Deep Sky at least a good minute before we got anywhere near the Valuans."

Fina seemed a bit taken aback, and hastily stammered "T-that's all right. I'm grateful that you rescued me, really."

Vyse opened his mouth to reply, but just then his father's voice rang from the room's communication tube. "Vyse, Aika, how long are you going to stand there chit-chatting? Your shift's about to start. Get up here."

"Oh, no! I completely lost track of time!" Aika raced out of the room at top speed, heading directly to the main deck.

Vyse sighed. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, either. We'll see you later, Fina. Try to get some rest."

* * *

It wasn't until about two hours before sunset that the Albatross finally approached Pirate Isle. Fina managed to get on deck and look around for a while, to everyone's surprise. When they were about a half hour's sailing from home, she called Vyse's attention. "E-excuse me, but…what exactly is that?"

Vyse looked where she was pointing and grinned. "Congratulations, Fina, you have discovered Daccat's grave."

"Daccat's…grave?"

"Well, we don't _know_ it's his grave, but there aren't all that many Air Pirates notable enough to get their own gravestone whose names begin with 'D,'" Vyse explained. "I think the only one other than him that anyone really knows about is Dyne, and he's the captain of this vessel, so it's…_probably_ not him. Anyway, I'm surprised you managed to see it. Most people only notice it when they know it's there. You have pretty keen eyes."

"R-really?" Fina seemed to appreciate the compliment, which was definitely a step up from their earlier conversation.

"Definitely," put in Aika as she walked over. "Hey, we should be coming within sight of our base pretty soon. It'll be right over there."

A few minutes later, Fina spotted it. "I think…I see it. Does your base have a windmill on top?"

"Yeah, that's the one! Actually, it's called Windmill Island on all the maps, but we all call it…Pirate Isle."

* * *

The approach and docking went smoothly; Fina seemed to be surprised at the hidden door to the underground port. Vyse and Aika wanted to give her a tour, but Vyse's dad had other ideas.

"What country are you from, and why were you traveling alone?"

"I-I cannot say."

Vyse's father frowned. "Why is that? Is it because we are Air Pirates? Do you mistrust us?

'No, that has nothing to do with it," Fina replied quickly. "I thank you with all my heart for saving my life. But…I cannot tell another living soul about the purpose of my quest. Even if it means sacrificing my own life."

Vyse was astounded at these words. Even his father raised his eyebrows a bit. Fina continued, "I have absolutely no intention of endangering anyone on this island. If you believe anything I say, please, believe this."

Dyne Inglebard sat in silence for a moment, then said, "All right. I can tell that you are true to your word. As Blue Rogues, we have a strong sense of honor. You do not need to divulge the details of your quest to us. Understand that you have my trust, and be careful not to lose it."

"Thank you kindly, Captain Dyne. I will not disappoint you."

* * *

Vyse and Aika had finished giving Fina a tour of the entire island, save Lookout Point, which, being in Upper Sky, would have been a silly detour, especially given that they intended to take her up later for a view of the sunset. They were now taking her around to meet everyone. Fina captured the hearts of the children instantly, and didn't do that badly with everyone else, either. Now the only one left to introduce was Vyse's mother.

"So, you're Fina. It's nice to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. I hope…I hope I am not intruding…"

"Oh, not at all." Vyse's mother smiled warmly. "It's been quite some time since we've had guests. Dinner should be ready in about fifteen minutes. Why don't you go up to Lookout Point? The view is particularly nice up there."

"Actually, we were planning to do that right after introducing you, Mom."

"Wonderful! I'll call you when dinner's ready."

The climb took at least three minutes, and not for the first time Vyse wondered why they couldn't just rig some sort of lift using the windmill. It would certainly be faster. By the time they got to the top, the sunset was at its most spectacular.

Fina was awestruck. "It's…so beautiful…"

"I love it up here too," commented Vyse. "It's so peaceful. I just come up here to relax and watch the sunsets…"

They watched the natural spectacle for a minute or two, then Vyse said, "You know, I've often wondered…What exactly lies beyond the sky…beyond the sunset?"

Fina looked bemused. "Beyond…the sunset?"

Vyse went on, "Some say there are monsters. Others claim there's a maelstrom that either blows ships away; or sucks them in, and never lets them out. And many just say…it's impossible…"

Fina looked like she expected more, so Vyse added, "I want to know what's out there. I don't like giving up on anything without giving it my best shot. Someday, I'll be the captain of my own ship, I'll go beyond that sunset, and I'll see what's out there."

Aika put in, "I bet if you could go beyond the sunset, the sky would be even more beautiful."

They looked at the sky for a few more minutes. Just as Vyse expected to hear his mother calling them, a loud noise and a flash of light caught their attention. Bright streaks of light flashed through the sky.

"Those are Moon Stones!"

"…Moon Stones?" queried Fina.

"Don't tell me you don't know what Moon Stones are!" exclaimed Aika. "Everyone uses them in one way or another for just about everything!"

"Oh, I know of Moon Stones. I just haven't seen them fall from the sky before."

"I can understand that. It's been a long time since I've seen one, myself. Hey, Vyse, did you see if any of them landed anywhere?"

"Hang on a sec, Aika." Vyse's eyepatch wasn't just there to trick foolish opponents into thinking he had a handicap; using some simple magic, its lens could change shape, allowing Vyse to see distant objects with perfect clarity, although the double vision could be disconcerting, to say the least. "…Yes, one did! I think that's Shrine Island over there. You want to go over and pick it up tomorrow?"

"Of course! How often do you pick up Silver Moon Stones?" replied Aika, grinning wildly.

Just then, the moment they'd all been waiting for occurred. "Vyse! Aika! Fina! Dinner's ready! Come on down!"

* * *

Vyse woke up at the crack of dawn and immediately started preparing for the trip to Shrine Island. At around nine, he, Aika, and Fina headed for the above-ground dock.

"You sure you don't want to come with us, Fina?" asked Vyse. It couldn't hurt to check, after all.

"Oh, no, I'm quite happy to stay here. Thank you for the offer. By the way…what are those barrels?"

"Oh, those," deadpanned Aika, "are what I like to call the Beholden Barrels. No matter where you look, they seem to follow your gaze." She grinned, and continued, "Really, it's just a trick of the wind currents that make them all turn at the same time, but it's still weird to look at."

"Well, we're here. We'll be seeing you later, Fina."

Vyse and Aika loaded their supplies on the boat and cast off towards Shrine Island.

* * *

Fina watched the two Air Pirates depart for a while, then headed back to the main island. "_I think I'll play with the children for a while…They're so sweet, and perhaps I'll be able to do something about Alan's asthma with some creative spellcasting."_

A few hours later, as Fina and the children were playing hide-and-seek, the lookout, Ben, came over to talk. "Hi, Fina. It's nice to see you getting along so well with the kids. They haven't really had anyone older than them to play with for some time, and I guess they missed it."

"Thank you," replied Fina, smiling. "I've always liked children. Were you going somewhere?"

"As a matter of fact, I was going to head up to Lookout Point for a bit of training. Would you mind standing near the bottom of the ladder to relay messages for me? Since I'm the lookout, while I'm up there I'll need to keep an eye out for anyone coming here, and while it's not all that likely, you never know what could happen."

"Of course, I'd be happy to help you."

But just as Ben disappeared over the top of the ladder, she heard him shout, "I don't believe it! The Armada's coming! It looks like a whole fleet! They're in attack formation! Fina, get the captain, now!"

* * *

"Lord Galcian, we've laid some light fire over the island's surface, and our troops are preparing to land."

Galcian, Lord of the Valuan Imperial Armada, turned and smiled. "Good…They seem to be quite well organized for a small village under siege. Their commander must be quite capable…perhaps Alfonso was indeed in over his head…"

"…Perhaps."

"No matter, it appears the battle is over. Retrieve the girl and bring her to me. Capture the Air Pirates, we will need to interrogate them upon our return to Valua. And be sure to destroy their ship as well."

Ramirez, his vice-captain, saluted firmly. "And if they resist capture? What does Your Excellency wish me to do should the situation arise?"

"I doubt they are foolish enough to resist. However, if they do…"

Galcian returned his gaze to the island, several of its buildings smoking from the cannons' fire. "Kill them all. Let their corpses rot in the streets and hang one of our flags as an example to all who would dare oppose the Imperial Armada."

* * *

**A/N: Just because Alfonso's likable doesn't mean Galcian has any less of a god complex. Also, I don't know what "long as crap" means, apparently.**


	4. Chapter 3: Pirates Against DRM

**Chapter Three: Pirates Against Deadly Robot Monster**

It took Vyse and Aika nearly an hour to reach Shrine Island. It was truly a sight to behold; an ancient, moss-covered tower was surrounded by a deep lake, with several branching, twisted paths across the waters that almost looked like an artwork. Clouds obscured most of the island's solid ground, but there was an area near its southwest edge that was visible enough and sufficiently clear of debris for them to land there. However, they still had to walk for several minutes before finding where the Moon Stone had landed.

When they did, however, they were dismayed. "I don't believe it! That hole has to be at least as big as my house!" exclaimed Aika. "And it broke the wall keeping the water out of the shrine, too! How are we going to get the Stone if it's underwater?"

"Maybe it isn't underwater. Let's go inside the shrine first." Fortunately, the shrine's doors had disappeared long ago, due to time or thieves, and they were able to enter without incident.

* * *

Unfortunately, the stone _was_ underwater; it was at the very bottom of the shrine, no less. Vyse and Aika sat on the edge of the shrine's newly-formed lake, discussing various ways to get it out, until Vyse noticed that there were what looked like doors all over the shrine. "Hey, Aika, don't those look like doors? Why don't we try looking around to see if we can find a way to open them?"

"I guess, but I didn't see any tunnels or anything leading down there on the way here. I guess we might have missed them, though. Why don't we go to the top floor? Maybe we could see them from up there."

After several minutes of climbing stairs, however, Vyse and Aika ran into a dead end. One of those strange doors sat at the top of the path, and it didn't to seem have any sort of handle. "Well, that's just great. What are we supposed to do now?" asked Aika. "I mean, unless you can open these things by touching them…" She laid a hand on the door to illustrate her point.

The door promptly opened. "Wow, the ancients must have been really talented to make doors like that," commented Vyse as he stepped outside. "I…don't see any tunnels or anything, though. There's just this weird crystal…"

"Try touching it," suggested Aika, "it worked on the door, after all."

Vyse did as his friend suggested, and poked the spinning, floating jewel. It stopped spinning, lowered itself into a small hole just below it, and began to hum.

Suddenly, light flared out from cracks all over the buildings on the island. The tower Vyse and Aika were on rumbled, and began to sink, causing them both to lose their balance. "Vyse, what did you DO?"

Vyse fought back with "Don't look at me, you're the one who said I should do it!"

As suddenly as the sinking began, it stopped. The Rogues got up carefully and looked around. The level of the tower they were on was now on ground level. Peering into the lake, they could see that the hole the Moon Stone had created was no longer visible. "Well, at least we won't have to drain the whole lake," commented Vyse. "We should go back inside, there might be some way to drain the water down there now."

* * *

After walking all the way back down to the edge of the shrine's flooding problem, they saw that, indeed, the door they had entered the shrine through to begin with now opened on a fairly narrow passageway. When they followed it, they found themselves outside, on some catwalks below the island. "I can't believe the ancients would just build a bunch of paths down here where anyone could fall off into Deep Sky!" fumed Aika.

"Well, they probably had some kind of handrails on here or something, but they must have fallen off or something. Besides, it looks like there's a door right over there, so it's not like anyone who would be coming down here would have had far to go."

"Great, let's open it then. Do you think I should try hitting it with my boomerang?"

"Good idea, you'd probably get knocked off if you tried opening it normally."

Unfortunately, Aika almost lost her boomerang when the flood slammed into it on its way back to her. Only a hastily-cast Wevli spell prevented it from falling into the depths below.

On the bright side, though, the door opened right on the bottom of the shrine. "Wow…it really is a big one, isn't it, Vyse? Can we even carry one this big by ourselves?"

"Well, we can try. First we should—wait, why's that pile of rocks moving?"

The rubble in the corner apparently wasn't normal rubble; it floated, revolving around an unseen center, before the rocks changed positions, assumed a vaguely humanlike shape, and crashed together into one entity. It had seven clear gems in a Silver magic circle pattern on its "chest." It then began to emit strange noises that sounded almost like speech, except that they were completely unintelligible to either of the Blue Rogues.

"What is that thing?" asked Aika.

"I don't know, but it looks like it's getting ready to fight us," replied Vyse, drawing his cutlasses.

* * *

The battle had gone on for at least fifteen minutes. Vyse and Aika were far more agile than the rock monster, and were able to dodge its attacks, most of which seemed to be based on shooting Electri-like beams of various colors, but neither of them were able to deal any visible damage to it. "Damn it, how do we kill this thing?" muttered Vyse under his breath. "Aika, give me a boost, I'm going to try using that technique I've been learning from Luke and Timmus."

"Got it," answered Aika, who ran over to him, quickly chanting an incantation, then touched him and finished her spell with the word, "Increm!"

With his physical strength and reflexes heightened by the Red magic spell, Vyse ran towards the golem, dodging one more of its beam attacks, then swung both cutlasses down, then up, using the momentum to launch himself into the air. "Take this! Cutlass Fury!" Vyse shouted, bringing down both cutlasses onto the center of the monster's magic circle.

With a deafening crash and a burst of light, Vyse was thrown into a wall, and when his vision cleared, the monster had fallen apart and was lying inert on the floor.

"Man, that was tough," panted Aika. "Hang on," and with another string of syllables, this time ending in "Sacri," she healed most of Vyse's wounds. "We'd better get the Moon Stone out of here as fast as we can, huh?"

"Yeah, I don't want to be anywhere near that thing when it wakes up." And with that, Vyse joined Aika in carrying the Moon Stone all the way back to their ship.

* * *

**A/N: …All right, all right, I'll stop with the filesharing jokes. Well, for now, anyway. Also, I'm going to wait a bit before I update again. While I'm glad I'm getting reviews at all, I'd kind of like input from more than one person before I keep going. Plus, I'll be able to put together some more ideas for later chapters in advance, which is always nice, and should help me put in some more of that humor I promised you guys.**


	5. Chapter 4: Hot Skiffy On Arcwhale Action

**Chapter Four: Hot Skiffy On Arcwhale Action**

It took several difficult hours to carry the Moon Stone back to the skiff. By the time Vyse and Aika lifted off, the sun was halfway down the sky.

As they started approaching Pirate Isle, however, Vyse noticed something odd. "Hey, Aika? Is it just me, or is Pirate Isle…smoking?"

Aika peered into the distance, squinting. "I'm not sure, but I don't like this…You better zoom in, Vyse…"

Vyse obliged, and after several seconds of adjusting his gaze, he gasped. "I don't believe it! Pirate Isle's…it's been bombarded!"

It took another half hour to get to the island, during which the two Rogues were both on edge. When they got there, they just barely managed to dock; most of one side of the dock's sole pier had broken off, and it was nothing short of a miracle that the bridge was still intact. The two ran through the village, confirming what they'd seen from the air: the buildings were largely intact, though a few walls had buckled and Aika's front door was completely blocked by a large boulder. Vyse and Aika headed straight for the underground port, dreading what they'd find.

* * *

"Vyse! Aika! Thank the Moons you two are safe!"

The underground section of the island, thankfully, hadn't taken any damage, and everyone was gathered there. Everyone who was left, that is; almost all of the men were missing, as was Fina. Vyse and Aika were directed to talk to Vyse's mother, who was in Dyne's office, and they had immediately gone to do so. "What happened here?" asked Aika.

"It was the Imperial Armada," replied Vyse's mom. "They came out of nowhere and bombarded the island... Your father said that if we tried to fight, too many of us would be killed, so… we surrendered."

"So Dad… and the others…"

"They were taken prisoner by the Armada, and sent to Valua."

"Damn!" cursed Vyse. "Did they take Fina too?"

"I'm afraid so," answered his mother.

"This is great… The Valuans punish piracy with death, and they'll probably kill Fina too…" Aika turned to Vyse, and asked, "What should we do?"

"What do you think? We've got to go after them and rescue everyone!" Vyse smiled, and continued, "It's not going to be easy, but it's not impossible! We can't let Valua get away with this… We'll get back at them somehow."

"Yeah… you're right. It's up to us. Let's show the Armada what happens when they mess with Blue Rogues!"

Vyse's mother interjected, "Wait. You won't be able to do anything in the shape you're in. You need a plan, and you need to get those wounds treated properly. Like my husband says, 'Acting quickly and rushing in are two completely different things.'"

"I guess you're right, Mom. Besides, we need to refuel the ship, and it's already pretty late. We'll head out first thing in the morning."

* * *

And so they did. After making sure they had plenty of supplies and fuel, Vyse and Aika set out, heading north toward Valua. The course they'd charted was the one the Armada was most likely to take: due north to Mount Selkie, one of the largest landmasses in the region, then east-northeast and through Sailor's Pass, which was the only safe route out of the part of Mid Ocean the Dyne Rogues considered their territory. After the pass, they just had to head due north and there would be no other course corrections necessary to reach Valuan skies.

The skies were clear and the winds favorable, and the two Air Pirates managed to pass Shrine Island after only a few hours. At around noon, they saw Mount Selkie and were about to adjust their course when they noticed a massive fog bank right where they were supposed to be heading. "I don't want to try sailing through that, do you, Aika?"

"I don't think we have a choice; it's heading right for us!" And so it was; in under a minute, the skiff was sailing all but blind and the wind was violent. "Vyse, watch out for that island!"

"What island? There shouldn't be any around here!"

"That island!" Aika shouted over the wind, pointing forward and down.

Vyse looked, and saw a massive shape that looked to be just above Lower Sky… and it was getting larger. Suddenly it moved, and he knew it wasn't an island. "I don't believe it! It's an arcwhale! It's MASSIVE!"

"What's it doing here at this time of year? I thought they didn't migrate until fall!" shouted Aika, incredulous.

Suddenly the arcwhale turned toward them. "What's it doing, Vyse?"

"I don't know, but it looks like it's going to attack us! I thought arcwhales were peaceful creatures! We'd better get out of here!"

But the skiff had no chance as the arcwhale blew a bluish-purple mist at it with massive force. The sails tore off, and the hull shuddered violently as Vyse and Aika clung for dear life to the railing. "Hold on… Aika! Don't… let go!" Vyse shouted to his companion against the wind, gasping heavily.

"But… the ship's… breaking up!" she yelled back.

Vyse saw the mast snap off, and then he knew no more.

* * *

**A/N: You wanted Lighter And Softer? TOO BAD. ****WALU****--er--PLOT TIME.**

…**Sorry this took so long. It's kind of funny how I updated daily for the first three chapters and then took more than a week off. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Glad to hear you guys like what I've done so far, at any rate. **

**If you're confused about how magic and/or super moves are set up here, it shall be explained sometime around the Daccat's Island storyline, at the latest. Which should be...um…less than twenty chapters away?**

…**Well, let's just say the games don't do it the way I do it, and leave it at that until I can find a legitimate reason to perform an infodump.**


	6. Chapter 5: The Hand of Fate

**Chapter Five: The Hand of Fate**

_"But… the ship's… breaking up!" Aika yelled back._

_Vyse saw the mast snap off, and then he knew no more._

_And then he knew more.

* * *

_

The first thing Vyse felt was pain. Fortunately, he felt it all over his body in equal measure, which meant that nothing was seriously damaged. He sat up slowly and opened his eyes.

He was on the deck of an unknown ship. Looking around, Vyse observed that the prow and cabin were painted green, so presumably that was the ship's main color; the masts, of which there were three, and the deck were left their natural color. Aika lay unconscious next to him.

"Hrumph," scoffed a loud, gruff voice behind him, "you finally decided to get up."

Vyse turned to see one of the most unusual sights he'd seen in his life, including the rock monster he'd fought the previous day. A massive man, clad in what appeared to be a worn green fisherman's suit, stood before him. His hair was completely white and he had a sizable gut, yet bulging muscles and a (real) eyepatch stood testament to his strength. His right arm had apparently been lost in some sort of accident, as the arm that was attached to his right shoulder was completely mechanical.

He heard Aika moan loudly next to him. "Aika, you okay?"

"I've had better days, Vyse," deadpanned his friend.

"Now that you're both awake," growled the mecharmed man, "you can go about explaining yourselves. Immediately."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Vyse.

"Because of you two, Rhaknam got away from me AGAIN!" shouted the man. "I was so CLOSE this time…"

"Rhaknam...Do you mean that giant arcwhale that attacked us?" inquired Aika.

"…Aye, that's him."

"Whew…he nearly blew the ship apart, do you remember?" Vyse said to Aika. He directed his next comment to the sailor, "I guess you must have saved us. Thanks a lot!"

"Thanks? **THANKS?!** Don't START with me!"

The man drew back and punched Vyse right in the face. He flew over a foot in the air, but managed to retain consciousness. "…Ow…is it just me, or am I getting hit in the head a lot today?"

"Hey! What did you do that for, you…uh…" Aika grasped for applicable insults, then settled lamely for "…rusty old man?"

"What did I do that for?! I've been chasin' after that arcwhale for years, and because of you kids, I lost him. AGAIN!"

"I'm…sorry. Really," stammered Vyse.

The man seemed to calm down a bit. "Hrumph…Your ship didn't 'nearly' anything. I spent half the day picking what was left of it out of my sails. Frankly, it's lucky I'm still airborne. It's even luckier that I managed to catch you two…for you, anyway."

Vyse and Aika sat in shock. Their ship had been completely decimated? They almost couldn't comprehend it. The man didn't give them time to recover, however. "Now, this isn't a passenger ship. Everyone on board needs to pull their own weight, so since you two are awake now, you can get to work." He looked at them for a moment, then smiled darkly. "If you don't like it, you can jump off. I need to keep the load as light as possible anyway."

Vyse glanced at Aika. She was staring at the old man; her jaw was working heavily, but no sound escaped her lips. He considered what he knew of his situation, then sighed. "Great. What have we gotten ourselves into now?"

* * *

Several hours later, the sun was beginning to set. Vyse and Aika had been performing all kinds of chores. Vyse had just finished his last job (moving supplies around to clean out one of the rooms) and was reporting for his next duty.

"Hrumph…It's gettin' late, so we'll be droppin' anchor soon. There isn't much that needs doin' before then, so you may as well tell me what you were doin' sailin' out here alone. I'm assumin' you're Blue Rogues by how you carry yourselves, but even for Air Pirates, bein' out here in a ship that tiny isn't somethin' that's normally done."

Vyse winced at that last comment; this ship (which he still didn't know the name of) was perhaps three times the size of the one they'd lost. Nonetheless, the only hostility he perceived from the captain was that of someone not trusting a person who doesn't explain himself, so he recounted what had happened to him and the rest of the Blue Rogues.

"Hrumph. So, the rest of your crew got captured, and you two are headin' up to Valua to break 'em out. I'd say you're suicidally stupid, but I've heard that Blue Rogues do that sort of thing all the time."

"Well, what about you?" Vyse rebutted. "You're chasing that giant killer arcwhale in this ship, which I suspect is a fishing vessel! You don't even have any cannons, as far as I can tell!"

"**SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BOY!" **The old man took his mechanical arm off the wheel and hit Vyse over the head again, though thankfully he didn't go flying this time. "For your information, I stow my cannons when I'm not usin' them. Most of my livin' is from fishin' and I'd rather not have to explain why an honest fisherman has eight good-size cannons on deck!"

"That…makes sense. I apologize."

The old man scoffed again, then after a few moments said, "Boy, take the wheel."

Vyse blinked. "What?"

"You said you had experience in all the tasks of sailin'. I want to see if you were lyin'. We'll be anchorin' on that island over there," the old main pointed, "right before Sailor's Pass. Tomorrow we'll be headin' to Sailor's Island to resupply."

"Aye-aye, sir!" Vyse said, and stepped to the helm. He examined the gauges, then spun the wheel slightly in each direction. "These gauges are old, but they're in great shape. And the wheel's more responsive than anything I've ever seen! This ship must make really tight turns. How's the engine?"

"The speed's decent, but the acceleration in both directions is top-of-the-line. I've been adjustin' it specifically so I can dodge Rhaknam's attacks." Vyse thought he could hear a touch of approval in the captain's voice.

"One more thing. If I'm going to be sailing this ship, I'd like to know her name…and yours, while I'm at it."

"The ship's called the Little Jack," replied the captain, "and I'm Drachma."

"All right then, Captain Drachma, setting course for the island. Prepare to cast anchor."

* * *

It turned out that the storeroom Vyse had been cleaning out all day was going to be a cabin…for Aika. Vyse got to sleep on a hammock in the engine room. The engine was incredibly loud, but fortunately the noise was monotonous enough that he eventually fell asleep.

The following day was almost exactly the same as the previous one, save that Vyse was at the helm for most of it. Sailor's Pass was safe and uneventful, and soon the Little Jack was docking at Sailor's Island.

"Wow…So this is Sailor's Island," Vyse said, looking around. There was one main street on the island that contained all the shops; there were a few side roads and alleys, but they were mostly residential areas. The busy main street had all kinds of people walking around on their business and exchanging rumors.

"I've never been here before, but I can already tell this place is going to be fun!" exclaimed Aika. "I think I'm gonna like it here."

"Good," replied Drachma, "because after I restock my supplies, I'm leavin'. You two can stay here.

Aika's jaw dropped, and she blurted, "Wait a second! We don't have a ship! What are you going to do, strand us here?"

"I have no interest in traveling to Valua. I have to find Rhaknam, and in the meantime I need to find a weapon powerful enough to destroy him. You kids can take care of yourselves, so go do it. I don't have time for babysittin'."

Drachma walked off and entered what looked like a tavern, with a sign reading "Polly's Place" over the entrance. Vyse looked at it for a while, then remarked, "So he thinks we can pull our own weight, but we're useless baggage. Wonderful."

Aika sighed. "I guess we'd better start looking for another ship, then…"

Vyse thought for a moment, then replied, "Maybe we should go talk to the ship parts merchants first. Who knows? One of them may have heard of some kind of super-powerful weapon somewhere. The Little Jack's pretty powerful, and it can probably dodge just about anything. I don't think we'll find a better ship to storm Valua in."

Aika thought it over, then assented. "We'd better go look around the other shops first, though. We need to build up our own supplies too, you know."

* * *

A half hour later, Vyse and Aika were running out of parts merchants to question. So far, none of them had heard of anything strong enough to take out an arcwhale that could fit on anything smaller than a Valuan battlecruiser.

"_Man…if we can't find anything soon, we might as well post want ads in the Sailor's Guild,"_ thought Vyse as he entered the latest shop.

The shopkeeper was moving some boxes as they came in. He was dark-skinned, with an afro and visor-style spectacles. "Welcome! What can I do for you?"

"Well, we're looking for information," answered Vyse. "You see, there's this gigantic arcwhale we're hunting, but it's pretty tough-skinned and we need a stronger weapon to take it out."

"Well, even if it's significantly tougher than a normal arcwhale, I can think of several things that could probably slay it. What size ship do you have?"

"That's the main problem. Believe it or not, the arcwhale's pretty violent, so our ship's basically a fishing vessel that's had its engines heavily modified for quick maneuvers. We can avoid just about anything, but our size limits our attack options heavily."

The shopkeeper beamed. "As it happens, I know just the thing, assuming your ship can handle having a thousand pounds or so added to the bow. It's called a Harpoon Cannon, and it's exactly what it sounds like: you put a massive harpoon on your ship and fire it out of a cannon. Saves money on ammo, but the recoil's horrible. However, if your engines have good enough acceleration, I don't see why you couldn't fit one on your ship."

"That's perfect!" exclaimed Aika. "Where can we get one?"

"Well, that's the biggest problem. Right now, they're only selling them in Vitamar. You know, the Valuan capital. If you have a passport, no problem, but if not, you'll have to go to the Sailor's Guild and be ready to wait."

Vyse smiled. "Valua, huh? Thanks for the info. This helps a ton."

"No problem! Just make sure to come back next time you need parts," replied the shopkeeper, as he waved them out of the shop.

* * *

Vyse and Aika entered Polly's Place, and saw Drachma immediately, sitting at the bar drinking some loqua that the busty, heavyset barmaid had just passed him. "Captain Drachma!" Vyse called.

"Why are you callin' me that?" growled the captain. "I'm not your captain anymore."

Aika smirked. "Really? Golly gee, that's too bad. I'd heard about a cannon powerful enough to destroy Rhaknam, but you're not our captain so I guess it doesn't matter."

Drachma slammed his drink on the counter, then turned to glare at them. "What did you say?"

Vyse put on his best ship-eater's grin and airily remarked, "You know, I used to think Rhaknam was invincible, but then I heard there was a really powerful weapon in Valua that could let a fishing vessel take out a battleship…But you're not our captain…so it really isn't important…Gee, Aika, I'd really like to go to Valua. I wonder who can take us there?"

"Are you tryin' to bargain with me, boy?"

"Well, since you put it so _eloquently_, yes, we are. We'll tell you about the weapon…if you agree to take us to Valua with you. After all, you'll be heading there anyway…"

"This had better not be a trick," rumbled the captain.

The barmaid leaned on the counter, then interjected, "You know, Drachma, one of the parts merchants was in here earlier, and he was talking about something pretty similar to that. He was pretty excited about it; he said that the Valuan merchant he'd talked to about it swore it could take out a small island. That was about the time he got glum, said something about it not being available anywhere but Valua until at least next year, and asked for another whisqua."

Drachma sat in silence for a moment, then asked, "Polly, are you sure about that?"

Polly smiled wryly. "When, Drachma, have I _ever_ lied to you, huh?" When Drachma didn't say anything, she continued, "Look, I've been running this tavern for twenty years. I can spot cheats and liars…and these kids are neither."

Drachma sat there for a while longer, then muttered, "All right. I won't get my hopes up, but I'll take you kids to Valua anyway. You'll have to work the **ENTIRE** way, but I'll take you there…"

Aika laughed in relief. "You're the best, Cap'n! And thank you too, Polly, for believing us."

Polly smiled broadly as Drachma _hrumphed_. "Don't sweat it. Just come back when you're done with whatever business you have up there and tell us about it. This tavern's dying for some fresh tales."

"Aye-aye, ma'am!" replied Vyse, "It's the least I could do!"

"Just be careful. Valua isn't known for its hospitality. They tend to shoot first and ask questions later."

"Polly's right," rumbled the captain. "We'll also need to get a passport to get in. I don't have one, but there's probably someone here who has one and doesn't need it anymore."

"Let's start at the Sailor's Guild," said Vyse. "I heard you can get passports there."

* * *

"A Valuan passport, and soon, huh? I'm afraid that just isn't possible."

The crew of the Little Jack, upon inquiring about a passport, was quickly directed to the guildmaster, a tall man with brown hair and a monocle. "Why not?" asked Aika.

The guildmaster replied, "Well, after the initial background check, there's an intensive background check…and that can take anywhere from a month to a full lunar cycle."

"Great…and I suppose we can't get just have one forged…" mumbled Vyse.

"Certainly not!" exclaimed the guildmaster. "Valuan passports are extremely difficult to produce; only a few know how to do it, and they all live in Valua themselves. Furthermore, anyone caught making or carrying a fake is executed immediately. Nobody's attempted a forgery since the Valua-Nasr War. The best you could to is purchase one from someone who doesn't need it anymore. It's not strictly legal, but most passports don't have any individual identification on them, so as long as whoever gives you the passport doesn't report the loss, there's no reason for the border guard to deny you entry."

"Excuse me…" said a voice. "I believe I may be able to help."

Vyse turned to see a wizened Nasrean merchant walking towards them. "I was in Valua on business, but I won't be heading back for quite some time. I have but one request to ask of you, and the passport is yours."

Aika asked excitedly, "You'd really give us a passport? What do you need? Ask us anything!"

The merchant smiled, and replied, "Well, I'm a merchant from the Kingdom of Nasr. I plan to head back to the capital east of here. However, I have heard rumors that the Black Pirate, Baltor, has been attacking vessels on the route there…"

"Baltor…" mused the guildmaster. "I believe he's on the Wanted List. There's a 1000 gold bounty to whoever destroys his ship, if I recall."

"Yes, precisely," answered the merchant. "What I wish to ask you is if you would escort me to the South Dannel Strait. Once I am there, the Nasrean Royal Navy can take me the rest of the way, but until then, I would feel unsafe sailing alone. If you can take me there, I will give you my passport once we arrive."

Drachma frowned. "Hrumph… Nasr is a sizable detour, but it isn't likely we'll find another person willing to give up his passport… We'll take you."

"You accept? Thank you very much. I've finished my preparations already, so I will await you at the docks."

"We shouldn't take too long to restock our supplies. We'll meet you there in an hour or so," replied Vyse.

And, with renewed hope, the Blue Rogues walked out of the Guild.

* * *

**A/N: Here, have a chapter that's almost as long as your normal fanfiction . net chapters.**

**If you're wondering where I got Vitamar from, it's a combination of the Latin words for "lightning" and "sea." My admittedly limited knowledge of Spanish makes me think that it now means something more like "life sea" but whatever.**

**The next chapter will show us those mad dodging skillz the Little Jack is so proud of. I'm not sure how far into Vitamar we'll be going, but we probably won't hit the Coliseum yet. Pacing ftw.**


	7. Chapter 6: Black and Blue

**Chapter Six: Black and Blue**

It wasn't long before the merchant left port, accompanied by the Little Jack. The easiest way to navigate to the Nasrean capital, Nasrad, was to follow the Desert Reef, a wall-like region of rocks of various sizes that made travel between Nasr and Mid Ocean difficult at best. Fortunately, all anyone had to do was stay within sight of the reef and they would reach the Dannel Straits, which were the only way to Nasrad from Mid Ocean.

The main problem with navigating the skies was their size; it would take three days to reach Nasrad, and another four to sail to Vitamar. Vyse and Aika weren't sure they had that much time before the Valuans reached a verdict against the rest of the Blue Rogues. Even Drachma was impatient to get up there; something like a Harpoon Cannon didn't show up often, after all, and it was possible they'd sell out. However, this just made them more determined to finish the escort mission quickly and well, and the first two days passed uneventfully.

However, no luck holds forever.

* * *

Vyse peered carefully from the lookout tower. "Captain! The Dannel Straits are in sight!"

The Dannel Straits were a sight to behold. A wall of sturdy, red earth rose in the distance, with only two gaps in its defenses. The north strait was a small, but peaceful, sky rift vortex that nonetheless prevented any and all ships from passing through it. The south strait was passable, but it curved tightly, requiring ships passing through and approaching to slow down considerably.

"Right, boy. Take a look around and see if you can't spot Baltor's ship. It'll be big and black."

"Heh…are Black Pirate ships ever any different?" replied Vyse, smirking slightly. He zoomed out a bit to get better peripheral view, then scanned the islands in front of the straits for anything suspicious.

After a minute or two, he spotted it. "Captain, I think I got something. There's something that looks like a mast sticking up behind an island…10 degrees to port, about ten minutes away at our current speed.

There was silence for a moment, then, "Aye, I see him, and it looks like he's seen us. Get down here and ready the cannons."

* * *

"Captain Baltor! The Nasrean merchant ship is currently off the port side. But…there's a strange ship following it. It looks a bit like a fishing vessel, but…odd. I don't recognize its markings."

Baltor the Black Bearded scanned the skies, then raised his spyglass for a better look. After a moment, he laughed. "We don't need to worry about a ship THAT old! Let's introduce these fools to the true meaning of fear! Battlestations, men! Don't let them escape, and take everything that isn't nailed down!"

"Yes, sir!" replied the sailor, saluting before hurrying off.

Baltor stalked up his ship to the wheel, checking the progress of the battle preparations on the way. All of his dozen or so cannons were being stocked, and boarding parties were assembling on schedule. Good, this would be quick, as usual.

He reached the wheel, dismissed the helmsman, checked his gauges, then looked out at the tiny ships sailing towards him and smiled.

* * *

"Cannons are on deck and ready to fire, Cap'n!" shouted Aika through the communications tube.

Drachma's reply came back promptly, albeit a tad distorted. "Right, you two. We're vastly outnumbered, so we'll be fightin' from a distance. Now, he's got to have at least a dozen cannons on his ship, so you can consider this a practical demonstration of the Little Jack's dodgin' abilities. You'll want to strap yourselves to somethin' sturdy, unless you fancy finding out what's below the clouds personally."

"Aye-aye, Captain. Where will we be aiming?" inquired Vyse as he tied some rope securely around his waist.

"Make the engines your primary target. If he can't move, he can't shoot down the ship we're escortin'."

"Understood." Vyse finished tying the other end of the rope to the mast, made sure that Aika was likewise secure, then shouted, "Preparations complete, Captain!" and ran over to the starboard cannons.

While Drachma had told Vyse the Little Jack was extremely good at accelerating, he nonetheless did not expect to be thrown back onto the deck as the ship took off towards Baltor's ship. Fortunately, they did not expect this either, and before the Black Pirates could get any sort of bearing, Drachma swung the ship hard to port, giving Vyse a perfect line of sight on the prow. As he lit the fuses, he noticed a faint tracing of gold, and just before he ducked down to avoid taking any fire, he managed to determine that it read "The Blackbeard."

As soon as the cannons went off, Drachma swung the ship again, this time banking hard to starboard and ascending sharply. He crossed over the top of the Blackbeard's sails, then turned again, this time giving Aika a clear shot at the back of the ship, including the engines. As far as Vyse could tell, the Blackbeard's crew was in a state of utter panic, which only intensified as Aika's shots connected and their engines exploded.

Drachma brought the Little Jack around the back of the Blackbeard and accelerated. As the ship passed the Blackbeard's starboard deck, Vyse saw the cabin door burst open and a large, angry Black Pirate (presumably Baltor) stalk out and glare at the Blue Rogues on the deck as the Little Jack sped off, signaling to the merchant vessel to proceed along the planned route as fast as possible.

* * *

Baltor the Black Bearded, scourge of the Mid Ocean – Nasrad trade route, stood amidst the chaos that was the Blackbeard's deck, staring after the ugly green vessel that had shamefully defeated him before he could fire a single shot. He closed his eyes and fixed the images of the redhead with the massive pigtails and the brown-haired kid with the eyepatch into his memory, vowing to get revenge. After a moment, he opened his eyes and bellowed, "By the Moons, somebody put out the damn fire!"

* * *

The journey to the South Dannel Strait only took about ten minutes. Once they got there, a pair of Nasrean warships came out and signaled to the merchant and its escort that they would accompany the merchant vessel for the remainder of its journey. The merchant signaled back to accept the offer, then approached the Little Jack.

"Thank you very much. It would appear you brought me safely home, and I must say, the story of how your ship so thoroughly trounced Baltor's will make me the delight of all the taverns in Nasrad! Please, take the passport, with my thanks."

Vyse jumped over to the merchant's vessel, and as he took the passport replied, "No, thank you. Without this, some good friends of ours would be in trouble. And, hey, if you need anything else in the future, don't hesitate to ask us." He smiled, and jumped back over to the Little Jack.

As the merchant joined the Dannel guard ships, Drachma turned his ship about and sailed back the way they came, giving Baltor's still-smoking vessel a wide berth, and headed towards Vitamar, the Harpoon Cannon, and the rest of the Blue Rogues.

* * *

**A/N: That…was the most ludicrously one-sided ship battle ever. And it was AWESOME. Also, if you're confused, port = left side, starboard = right side.**

**Next time: The entire first half of the Vitamar arc, all the way up to the Coliseum. Hopefully it won't take me two weeks or whatever to actually do it like this chapter did.**


	8. Chapter 7: Plumbing the Catacombs

**Chapter Seven: Plumbing the Catacombs**

Four days after the battle with Baltor, the Little Jack was finally about to enter Vitamar. Vyse peered out of the crow's nest at the massive structure ahead. It was so massive that it extended into Upper Sky and scraped the top of Deep Sky. Since nobody had engines that could enter Upper Sky and Deep Sky was out of the question, this effectively made it impenetrable. With the cannons floating on nearby islands and the searchlights constantly scanning for anything that shouldn't be there, it was no surprise that this was called the Grand Fortress.

After a moment, he spotted a small Valuan vessel approaching them. "Captain! There's a patrol ship heading for us."

"Get down here, boy, and take the wheel. I'll be presentin' the passport personally."

"Aye-aye, Captain!" replied Vyse, who promptly clambered down to the deck and up to the bridge, taking the wheel as Drachma headed to the deck.

He couldn't hear the conversation between the captain and the Valuan soldier that crossed over to their deck, but it seemed that the passport worked, as the soldier promptly returned to his own ship and Drachma ordered through the deck's tube, "Right, boy, take us into the fortress. It'll be open by the time we get there."

Five minutes later, the fortress slowly churned open as scheduled, revealing that the other side, while not as heavily armored as the side that had been presented to the outside world, was absolutely covered with the largest cannons that Vyse had ever seen. The Little Jack could easily have sailed through the widest barrels, and even the smallest ones were more than large enough for two people to run through side by side. Aika was similarly impressed. "Is that really where Cap'n Dyne and the others are being held? I…don't think we could take that.

Drachma laughed humorlessly. "Nobody's ever escaped the Grand Fortress. I have heard there's a way out, though…"

"So it's possible to leave, then?" inquired Vyse.

Drachma smiled grimly. "Yep. After the prisoners are executed, their corpses are dropped off the edge."

"That's just great!" cried Aika. "What are we going to do now?"

Vyse turned to her and smirked. "Nobody's ever gotten out, because I've never tried! And I love a challenge! We'll get everyone out somehow. Just watch me!"

* * *

The room was brightly lit and well-furnished. Soft chairs sat on the sides of the room, amidst bookshelves. One wall was covered by a massive white screen, while another wall adjacent to it was almost entirely taken up by an immense window with an excellent view of the city. In the center of the room was a large table with about a dozen seats. At the end of the table, a tall man wearing long black robes turned around and addressed the people sitting at it. "Admirals of the Valuan Armada…Let me first show my gratitude to each of you for assembling on such short notice. Let it be known that we have successfully captured a citizen of the Silver Civilization."

The admirals seated at the table variously gasped, smirked, and appeared thoughtful. The white-garbed blonde on the end spoke first. "I was the one to find her initially," bragged Alfonso, "but unfortunately I encountered certain…difficulties with my crew and had to abandon the girl, along with my ship, to some Air Pirates."

An old man in rust-colored armor spoke up in a solemn voice. "I'm sure Empress Teodora is quite pleased that she was recovered. Now, if we can persuade her to give us the information we need, it will be worth the expense and effort we took to track her down."

Next to him, a muscular man with blue armor and an…odd hairstyle laughed and boomed, "You're way too formal, Gregorio. Now, you said the Silvite was a woman, Lord Galcian?" The robed man nodded, and the pointy-haired man continued, "Now THAT is worth getting excited over! How old is she? Is she good looking? Does she wear leather? I like my women feisty!"

Across the table, a woman wearing maroon armor chuckled. "You're out of luck, Vigoro. She's the exact opposite; very shy and demure. Her name is Fina. She's currently being escorted to the Imperial Palace to see the Empress."

On the opposite end of the table from Lord Galcian, a short man whose least eccentric article of clothing was a glass dome fitted over his head laughed maniacally. "I see you're our espionage expert for a reason, Belleza! Of course, as head of research and development, I have a personal interest in the technology of the Silver Civilization! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The short man continued laughing madly for several seconds before Galcian ordered, "Silence, De Loco." After waiting to make sure nobody had anything further to say, he said, "I will head to the Imperial Palace and await Empress Teodora's orders to commence the search for the Moon Crystals. Fina, our new…ally, will assist us in gathering all six from around the world."

Galcian turned to Alfonso. "As for you. You lied in your report. As punishment, you will be relieved of your position as commander of the Mid Ocean fleet. And for an indefinite period of time, you will be confined to Ixa'Taka."

Alfonso paled. "My lord…why would you think my report was inaccurate?"

Galcian replied, "You were attacked by Air Pirates and, while you may have nearly escaped with the girl, you made no attempt to fight the Pirates that were pursuing you and abandoned her along with your ship and crew in order to save yourself. The Air Pirates released them a short while before the raid on the pirates' base, and they filed a full…and accurate…report." He paused, evidently expecting some sort of reply, but receiving none, he continued, "Our Armada is invincible. Showing any signs of weakness is unforgivable. I trust you will not forget that."

Galcian turned back to face the entire table and ordered, "This meeting is adjourned. I want all of you to be ready to depart at a moment's notice.

The Admirals saluted in unison. "Yes, Lord Galcian!"

* * *

Docking went without incident. Fortunately for Drachma, the merchant selling Harpoon Cannons was right there on the docks. "You kids go find us an inn. I'll stay here and make sure it's installed properly."

"Aye-aye, sir!" replied the two Rogues.

As they left the dock area, they got their first clear view of the city. The buildings were old and dilapidated, and the streets were covered in grime. The clouds covering Valua made the streets dark, and the streetlights did not contribute very much to making them brighter, even when they were working, which most of them weren't. The people passing were in as shabby a state as the town; they were covered in dirt and wearing clothes that had obviously been patched together out of whatever could be found. They plodded the streets slowly, without talking to each other. Aika gaped. "This…this is awful…"

"…Come on. We need to find out if anyone knows what's happened to Dad's crew and find that inn."

"Uh…right. Let's go."

As they followed the main road, they saw that the city wasn't a hopeless slum, as they'd thought at first glance, but merely extremely poor; there were several businesses along the road that, if not thriving, weren't in danger of closing either; a few people were selling things from shabby roadside stalls, and some children were playing in alleys. As they passed a bar, Vyse heard something that made him pause and duck inside.

To his amazement, it was a bulky mechanical device on the wall that was uttering the words that had caught his attention; it also had a window of sorts where a fuzzy, black-and-white image of a man with a mohawk was speaking. _"…captain of the Mid Ocean Rogues is Dyne Inglebard. Apparently they've been causing all sorts of trouble for the good men and women of the Imperial Armada, which makes it even more satisfying for me to announce that the entire crew of the Albatross will be the Coliseum's Execution of the Month! Remember, folks, that's tomorrow at noon! Tickets are, of course, sold out, but you can still see the full show live right here on LCTV Channel Thirteen!"_

"What's wrong with you two? Ain't'cha seen a television before?"

"What? No, we came up here from Sailor's Island," replied Vyse quickly.

The large, burly man who had accosted them, apparently a bouncer, relaxed a bit, nodded, and said, "Well, it's not a very good model, those all go to Upper City of course," he spat the words 'Upper City' like they were a curse, "but it gets the picture and sound well enough and impresses new visitors on occasion. You two gonna buy a drink, or leave?"

"Oh, sorry, we didn't know what it was, so we looked in, but we don't have time to drink now," Aika answered. "But we might come back later." She and Vyse quickly vacated the doorway and continued down the street.

* * *

It took some time to find an inn that would accept "There's a big, old man with us, one arm, eyepatch, you can't miss him, he's paying" for a key, but the Rogues managed to book a room near an "Imperial Steel Mill." After a quick trip to the docks to tell the captain where the inn was, the Rogues had a bit of time left to gather more information. They did not, however, unearth anything new, and returned to the inn. On the way there they bumped into a short redheaded teenager who made a small scene of ranting at them about "street cred" and "rep," then resorted to a surprisingly large vocabulary of colorful cusses when this didn't get much of a reaction at all. When he stopped for breath, Aika countered with something I'd really rather not print here but involved tasty desserts and the boy's mother, which made Vyse turn red and the boy blanch and run off, yelling, "I'll remember this! FOOLS!" as well as gather profuse applause from the audience that had gathered around them. Unfortunately, this made them later than they had expected, so when they got to the inn at last the captain was already there and looking impatient.

"You sure took your time with that kid. It better have been worth it."

"Oh, it was," replied Aika, grinning evilly.

"Geez, Aika, I never knew you had that much of a mean streak in you…I don't think I can ever look at pudding the same way again…" moaned Vyse.

"Just think of it as being me instead of his mom," Aika submitted, still smiling.

"AAAARGH! THAT MAKES IT WORSE!" Vyse clutched his head and sat down on a bed.

"Are you two done goofin' off? I'd like to attend to business," Drachma rumbled.

Aika cheerfully apologized. "Sorry, Captain, won't happen again, maybe…"

"Hrumph. Did you kids hear about the execution at the Coliseum?"

"We heard," answered Vyse, who stopped grabbing his hair and put on a serious expression. "I think we should sneak in there tomorrow."

Aika looked stunned. "Are you serious? How are we going to do that?"

"I'm not sure, but we don't know where they're being held now, and just running around looking everywhere is just going to get us killed."

"That is a certainty," Drachma put in. "If it's the Coliseum, though, you kids can count me in. It'll likely be under heavy guard, and if it isn't, there's probably a reason for it."

"All right. If the Captain's coming with, we'll have a lot better of a chance, at least getting out. So, it's settled: Tomorrow we infiltrate the Coliseum and get everyone out!"

All three people in the room suddenly jerked as a loud "THUMP" came from outside. They looked at the window and saw a figure jumping up and climbing onto the roof. "Dammit, someone heard us! Aika, gimme a boost!" Vyse shouted, running for the nearby balcony.

When Aika got out there, she immediately crouched and cupped her hands. Vyse put one foot in them then pushed off with the other at the same time she threw him upwards. The double jump got him high enough to land on the roof and take off after the figure who was now leaping onto other rooftops, heading towards the steel mill.

The figure seemed determined to shake him off and certainly didn't give him a good line of sight. When it disappeared from the rooftops altogether Vyse thought he might have lost him but immediately spotted it again down at street level, trying to open a manhole in a dead-end alleyway. Just as the figure had got the cover open, Vyse jumped and pinned it to the ground. To his surprise, it was the redheaded boy from earlier. "You again? What is wrong with you, kid?"

"I have a name, you know. It's Marco."

"And I don't care. Now tell us why you were spying on us," replied Aika.

Vyse looked up to see Aika with her boomerang in her hands and Drachma with his arm straightened out and his fist pointing at the teenager as if it were a gun. "Wow. Were we really that slow?"

"Runnin' on rooftops is harder than you'd think, boy," Drachma rumbled, not taking his eyes off Marco. "If you aren't going to talk, then I'm afraid we've got no choice. We're going to have to kill you now, boy."

Marco smirked. "Go ahead. I doubt even the rats would miss me. Besides, it's not like anyone would believe you were actually going to sneak in. There's no way in that isn't guarded, except the Catacombs."

"The Catacombs?" inquired Vyse.

"What, do you think you could get through them alive? Even when I tell you they're absolutely full of monsters and dead ends?" When Vyse nodded, he burst out laughing. "Oh, that's rich! You actually think you could! I can't even get through half of it, and I've lived down there for years!"

Aika looked shocked that anyone would live in a monster haven, but Drachma simply growled, "Well then, if you live down there you could be a decent guide, couldn't you? You are going to come with us."

The boy sat silently for a few seconds, then uttered a flat "What. Are you serious."

Drachma was, however, and the boy was quickly dragged to the inn.

* * *

At dawn the next day (or what was probably dawn, given that the skies were dark half the time) the crew of the Little Jack set out, accompanied by their guide. They went back to the alley they'd chased Marco to, since apparently that was the best way in. "I still can't believe you're doing this…" he moaned as they descended into the sewers.

"So why are the Catacombs connected to the sewers anyway?" interrupted Aika.

"The sewers drain into the Catacombs. The chemicals in the water are part of why the monsters are so bad.

"Are you saying we'll have to slog through sewage the whole way there? No thank you!"

Marco smirked. "If you're that worried about your dress, lady, you shouldn't have been a sailor. Besides, most of the sewers drain down a specific path, so if you avoid those you can stay squeaky clean…mostly. By the way, there are probably some zombies at the bottom of this ladder."

"I don't think zombies are real, kid." Vyse looked down and saw several green bugs looking up at him. "Nope, I just see some really big bugs.

Marco looked as well, and said, "Huh. I guess their hosts have decayed already."

Aika looked sick. "Hosts? You mean…"

Marco was already walking on, but he shouted over his shoulder, "Just don't let them climb on your back!"

Aika spat over the edge, then followed, muttering, "…_hate_ bugs."

* * *

It had taken over an hour of wandering and, on occasion, creature-decapitating, but they were apparently near the Coliseum. The party was in a large room that resembled a temple; in fact, Marco had stated that it probably was one in the Old World. They had just rested and were gathered in front of a large door that apparently led to the Coliseum. "All right. You guys seem to be pretty good at fighting, so you might be able to get through here. This is the only way into the Coliseum. There's just one problem."

"And what'd that be?" growled Drachma.

"There's this monster…I don't really know what it is…but it's killed everyone that tried to pass or kill it. It's too large to leave the room that has the stairs to the Coliseum, so it won't kill you until you're in there, but once you're inside, you _will_ die."

"That…sounds menacing, but it's not all that helpful," remarked Vyse.

"Well, if it helps, there was one guy who got right outside its room and then ran away. He said it looked sort of like a legless Basallish with a see-through gut, and that the whole room smelled like acid."

"Hmm…if it smelled like acid and you could see its bones or whatever through its belly, then it's got a lot of acid in there." Aika paused, then continued, "I think I could kill it if I used Crystalum, but I only just managed to perfect Crystales, so…"

"Try Crystales first, Aika," replied Vyse. "It should probably be enough to freeze it, if not kill it, and we only need it out of the way until we can get Dad and the others back."

"…All right. Here goes nothing."

Marco pulled the door open and the Little Jack's crew walked down the hallway. At the end, they saw the monster sitting squarely in the middle of the room, with the ladder to the Coliseum on the other side of it. It was big and gray, with two tiny stubs of arms. Its gut was massive and, indeed, was see-through. A few skulls and random bones floated around inside. It opened its toothless maw in a deathly smile as the living, non-digested humans approached.

Aika was muttering under her breath the entire way down the hall, and as they stepped into the monster's lair, she shouted, "_**CRYSTALES!**_"

* * *

"_Welcome to Execution of the Month, everybody! We've got a great lineup for you today! It's the notorious pirate gang…the DYYYYYYNE ROOOOOOOGUES!"_

Dyne Inglebard marched up the path to the executioner coolly, largely ignoring the crowd, though he almost smiled at the number of cheers that went up briefly.

"_Their crimes include attacking Imperial ships and stealing valuable cargo! The price for such crimes is high…and these pirates will pay with their heads!"_

Dyne raised his head and looked the executioner in the eyes, or at least in the holes in his helmet that let him see out.

"_First up is Dyne Inglebard, their captain and leader! If you can't say anything else about him, he's certainly got a big head, naming his brigade after himself!" Laughter followed this. "Well, that'll change today! He'll go from big head to no head at—what's this?"_

Dyne felt a force snap his bindings and saw the guards on either side of him fall unconscious in a flash of blue light. He turned and saw, to his astonishment, Vyse and Aika, accompanied by a large old man with an artificial arm, swiftly dispatching the guards that the Slipara spell had not knocked out. Without thinking twice, he ran off towards them. When he got near, the mecharmed man tossed him a pistol without missing a beat.

Dyne caught it and turned to see the executioner storming towards their group. "**Do you honestly think you can escape?**" he roared.

Vyse smirked, and yelled back, "We can try!" just as Aika finished another spell and shouted, "Panika!"

The executioner stopped and looked around wildly. "**How did you do that? Where did you go?**"

"Quick, in here, everyone!" shouted Vyse, and, following quickly, the entire crew of the Albatross entered the Catacombs.

Dyne was the last to go in, and he stole a glance back at the Executioner. He looked around, then paused and looked at him. "**There you are!"** Dyne blanched and began to scramble down the ladder, then laughed as the Executioner brought his axe down on a Valuan guard that had just woken up. With that final hilarious sight, he hurried after his crew and son.

* * *

**A/N: There actually is a bar in the Lower City, and you actually can find out about the execution from there rather than from Drachma. Hint: Turn left when you see Marco for the first time.**

**That double boss fight can really be annoying if you aren't prepared for it. The Executioner in particular is absolutely lethal if he's Increm'd and you aren't. Too bad magic isn't as OP in the games.**

**I think this is my largest update so far, and we don't even have Fina yet. This…could take a while. I hope we get to the split-up arc(whale) soon; I really want to do that…**

**A/N: Aika doesn't swear, because she doesn't **_**need**_** to. Next time: Escaping the Grand Fortress.**


	9. Chapter 8: Railroading

**Chapter Eight: Railroading**

As the last of the Rogues entered the shrine, Marco shut the door behind them, then turned, grinning like an idiot. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. Not only did you kill that…thing…but you actually managed to get your buddies out of the Coliseum. Do you know how long it's been since the last escape?"

Aika rolled her eyes. "Lemme guess, nobody's done it since Daccat?"

"Yep."

"…Wow, I thought I was joking. And, uh, we didn't actually kill the thing back there, we just stopped it from moving."

This didn't stop Marco's awestruck enthusiasm. "Well, that's still way more than anyone else did! Man, if there were more people who could actually do spells, that thing wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Um, anyway, Marco," interrupted Vyse, "we need to get everyone back to Lower City and on our ship, so—" He looked around, then asked, "Where's Fina?"

Briggs stepped forward. "I overheard the guards talking about her being escorted to the Palace, I have no idea why but she must be important enough for the Valuans to not kill her. Apparently they were timing things so that she'd be heading back to the Grand Fortress while we were learning how to become a head shorter in five seconds."

Vyse winced. "Crap. We need to hurry. Marco, you wouldn't know how to intercept her, would you?"

"That's easy. Ships to and from the palace all depart and arrive in Upper City. There's also a monorail there that goes to the Grand Fortress. If you're going there, you should take that passage." He pointed, and continued, "It's pretty much a straight line there, no side paths at all. I never figured out why."

"All right. Marco, can you take everyone to the Lower City docks…preferably within a half hour? Aika and I are going after Fina."

"With this many people? We can take any of the short routes, no problem! I'll have them on your ship in half that!"

Drachma stomped his foot in a way that, somehow, wasn't childish at all. "That's MY ship, brat!"

Dyne chuckled. "Well, well, Vyse. You seem to have things pretty well handled."

His son smirked. "Hey, you're the one who's always telling me I have to take charge someday, I just assumed you meant _this_ week."

From the passage they'd originally entered the shrine from, Drachma yelled, "Are you savin' that girl or what? Get movin'!"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" And with that, Vyse and Aika dashed down the tunnel towards the Upper City.

* * *

"Lord Galcian brings good news, Your Majesty."

The Valuan Imperial Palace was an impressive sight, but even more awe-inspiring was the throne room. Every visible surface was solid white marble. The single massive throne had a red carpet before it, a banner with the royal crest behind it, a young, lightly armored man next to it, and a middle-aged, heavyset woman in purple on it. Kneeling in front of her was the head of the Armada. "Indeed I do, Your Highness. I'm sure you will be pleased. As you have requested, our forces have captured a Silvite."

The queen smiled, giving her features a disturbing look. "Ahh…Excellent work, Galcian." She cast an appraising look at the bound girl sitting on the carpet next to the Admiral. "So, this is what a Silvite looks like. Hmm…Such a beautiful girl. Her clothes are…interesting…A very nice specimen." She leaned back in her throne and closed her eyes. "Today we have taken another step closer to our main objective. Soon the Valuan Empire shall rule the world."

The girl simply stared straight ahead, ignoring the queen's words. "You seem…sad, young one. Why do you not rejoice with us? You shall witness our finest hour. You have knowledge we seek. And you can assist us. All who oppose us will fall, anything standing in our way will be destroyed…and you shall help us."

The young man next to the throne spoke. "Mother…Ruling the world by force is something I am not sure I approve of. An empire that does not listen to the plight of its people is destined to fall…"

The queen chuckled. "Enrique, you still have much to learn. You cannot walk the path of the emperor and concern yourselves with the petty needs of the 'people.'"

"But, Mother…!"

"Now, now, Enrique…I am building an empire for you. Since you shall inherit the throne when I pass on, you should pay attention." She turned to the Silvite again. "Now then, I cannot keep calling you 'young lady.' What is your name?"

"Her name is Fina, Your Majesty," said Galcian.

"Thank you, Galcian. Fina, I know that there are six Moon Crystals scattered around the world. I also know that whoever possesses them controls weapons of mass destruction. I believe you know them by the term 'Gigas'…When the Gigas are ours, we shall rule the world! Now, Fina, tell me where the Crystals are."

Fina reacted for the first time by gazing directly at the queen and, with deathly calm, replying "I will die before I tell you."

The disturbing nature of the queen's smile couldn't hold a candle to her face now. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

"You do not understand how powerful the Gigas truly are. They were great weapons of destruction built by the Old World…they are more powerful than you can imagine."

"And that is precisely why Valua must obtain these weapons! Since we are the most powerful empire, we should have full control over them! And once we have them, we will control the world!"

Fina stood up. "No! Power-hungry dictators like you are the reason why humans must never control the Moon Crystals and the Gigas ever again!"

The queen's face somehow got even more terrifying. "You DARE insult ME! The Empress of the great Valuan Empire! IN MY OWN PALACE! GUARDS! KILL HER! KILL THE LITTLE WENCH! OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

Enrique grabbed her wrist. "Mother, remember your blood pressure! Think about what you are saying! You cannot kill this girl, she's done nothing wrong!"

"Are you saying this girl is innocent, Enrique? Even after she insulted me so? Kill her! Kill her now!"

Fina stumbled forward. "Please! You must believe me! The power of the Gigas is not to be underestimated!"

She only managed a few paces before a large, gauntleted hand grabbed her by the neck. "Silence, wench! You will pay for your insubordination!"

Fina felt a blow on the back of her head, and just as she lost consciousness, she thought she heard, "…like to recommend Vice Captain Ramirez for the position."

_Ramir…ez? It can't be…_

_Can it?

* * *

_

Vyse shoved the manhole cover aside and emerged, blinking, into the light. Before he could get a good view of where he was, a voice accosted him. "What on earth are you doing climbing out of that sewer? You don't look a maintenance worker to me."

Thinking quickly, Vyse turned towards the voice and squinted. When he could make out the general figure of a well-dressed man, he smiled charmingly and replied, "We aren't. We're mercenaries who specialize in hunting down monsters." He stepped aside, indicating Aika, who was just climbing out. "There was a massive slime beast that was making things difficult for the people who have to go down there, and apparently the military budget's stretched too thin for soldiers to take care of it. So, several people pitched in and hired us. It wasn't too difficult, though I'm afraid I'll probably have to burn these clothes now."

"Ah. Well, if that is the case, I would appreciate it if you hurried on. I don't want sewer stench on my clothes."

"Of course, sir, but could you point us towards the train station? This isn't where we entered the sewers at, and I'm afraid I have no idea where we are now."

The man frowned, then pointed down the street. "Just follow the main road. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Oh, I apologize. Thank you for the directions." Vyse beckoned to Aika and hurried down the street.

After several minutes of jogging in a straight line, the road opened onto a small plaza, with a small bridge leading to a larger plaza. As the Air Pirates reached the top, they spotted the train station. "Hold up, Aika, I think I see Fina."

"You sure?"

After a moment, Vyse replied, "…Yeah, it's her. She's being escorted by a pair of guards, and…oh crap."

Aika didn't need to ask what was wrong. The flash of light and roar of an engine made it obvious what had happened. "This is great! What are we going to do now?"

The monorail began moving in their direction as Vyse answered, "We're going to have to jump on it!"

"You have got to be kidding me…"

They landed on one of the rear cars, Vyse on his feet, Aika on her face.

* * *

"Hey Aika, do you get the feeling that we're being forced into going one direction by powers unknown?"

"Not really, why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that we've been traveling in more or less straight lines for fifteen minutes or so, and now we've got big, pale, and creepy following us, so we couldn't turn around even if we wanted to."

Aika glanced back at the man walking after them several cars behind. He was lightly armored and extremely menacing, due in no small part to the fact that he was carrying a broadsword with one hand. "I see what you mean. Maybe that's just what Valua's like."

"It could be. We're coming up on the engine. Fina's probably in there, and if not, well, we still have to stop the train."

The two Rogues jumped down onto the small walkway connecting the engine and the monorail's cars, then opened the door. To their immense fortune, Fina was, in fact there, accompanied by two guards. All three turned around at the noise. "Who are you?" snarled the left guard.

Aika ignored them. "Hey, Fina, sorry we took so long! We're here to get you out."

"Insolent pests! You'll have to get past us first!" spat the guard on the right. Both guards moved their lances into an attack position and charged at Vyse and Aika.

Vyse brought his cutlasses into a blocking stance and parried the attack, while Aika jumped over the top of the other guard and shoved him out the door with his own momentum. Vyse circled around his guard, feinted, then kicked him out as well. "That was way too easy. Let's hurry up, I'm getting a bad feeling."

Aika was already sitting behind Fina and cutting the ropes binding her arms and legs. "I'm glad you're safe, Fina! We were worried about you."

Vyse hurried over to help as well and noticed that Fina seemed to be close to tears. "Vyse…Aika…How did you…Why?"

Vyse smirked. "Why do you think? We're here to save you! We can't just abandon one of our own! I mean, you've been with us for a whole day! That has to count for something!"

Aika put in, "We're friends, Fina! We weren't about to let them take you away when you didn't want it!"

"Thank you both so much! I…honestly, I was afraid…they'd kill me. I wasn't cooperating very well…I'm so grateful…"

"Don't worry about it, Fina! Everything's gonna be fine! Now let's stop this train and get out of here!"

A low voice from the door made the three turn. "I'm afraid I can't allow that."

The man who had followed them along the train cars stood in front of the doorway, flanked by the two guards they had dispatched. It was Galcian, not that Vyse or Aika knew that. He smiled grimly. "You've caused us a lot of trouble, boy. What is your name?"

Smirking, Vyse said, "I'm Vyse of the Blue Rogues. I thought you were just the guy who cleaned the rail cars."

"Ah…I would assume you are the one who made a fool out of Alfonso." He bobbed his head toward Fina. "That girl is worth nothing to you Air Pirates. Hand her over to me. I guarantee that your lives, as well as that of the girl, will be spared. Is it a deal?"

"Never!" spat Vyse. "I don't know what you want with her, but you're Valuans. It can't possibly be anything good!"

"Oh, it is for the ultimate good cause, I assure you. Besides, do you really think that after attacking the Imperial Armada you'll be able to fly the skies freely?"

"We're Air Pirates, remember? We don't need your permission for anything. If we see something we want, we just take it!"

"That's very disappointing." Galcian shrugged. "I'm afraid you leave me no choice…I must destroy you."

He pulled his sword back and stepped forward…and an explosion rocked the train and obscured everyone's vision.

When the smoke cleared, which didn't take all that long, the car had been split roughly in two. Outside, visible through the hole, was the Little Jack, now with a large yellow spearhead on the prow that was unmistakably the Harpoon Cannon. The main part of the train, along with a scowling Galcian, slowed down, no longer having any means of propulsion, while the engine, along with Vyse, Aika, and Fina, kept going. After a minute or so, they cut the engine and waited for the Little Jack to pick them up.

* * *

"You were late, Vyse. We decided to come get you, and from the looks of things, we were just in time," said Dyne. "Are you all right, Fina?"

"Y-yes. Thank you very much." She paused, then added, "I'm very grateful you've gone to so much trouble to rescue me."

Aika sighed, grinning. "Fina, we're all okay right now. Save the mushy stuff for later."

"She's right," rumbled Drachma. "We can all be grateful once we've gotten out of Valua. Which just got a bit more difficult. Look ahead."

Vyse did, and shouted something that would be profane if it were, in fact, a word. "They're closing the gates! And they've set up a blockade!"

Drachma hrumphed. "If that thing closes before we're through, we're dead. We'll have to punch a hole through that blockade quickly, and run for it. I think we may as well test out my new Harpoon Cannon. Boy, you take the wheel. Fly right at one of the ships in the center and increase to full throttle on my mark."

"Aye-aye, sir!" Vyse ran to the wheel and maneuvered into position. "Ready when you are, Captain!"

"Harpoon Cannon…FIRE!" roared Drachma. Vyse increased speed to maximum, and just in time, as the ship lurched violently and would have been thrown backwards or even keeled without the power boost to the engines.

Vyse looked ahead and saw the harpoon flying at high speed towards the blockade. It reached the ship in the center, _and it kept going._ It passed clear through to the other side before the vessel it had penetrated exploded. "All right! We hit a fuel tank!" He then saw, out of the smoke, the harpoon…falling down, taking the rope with it. "Captain…I think I've just found a design flaw in your gun…"

"Fly after it, boy! We need to retract the cable while we have a chance!"

Vyse increased throttle and raced through the blockade before any of its ships could lock on, then headed steeply downwards, getting a few upset voices from belowdecks. He checked how much cable was left and how fast the harpoon was falling, and grimaced. "I don't think we're going to make it in time, Captain..."

Suddenly, silver light flashed, obscuring his vision, and when it faded…the cable was taut and the harpoon was flying backwards toward the ship. "Was that a spell? Who…never mind. Reattaching the Harpoon Cannon…now!" The ship rocked again as the harpoon returned to its ready position in front of the ship. Vyse pulled the Little Jack up again and headed for the Grand Fortress gate.

Miraculously, there was still time for them to get through. Since the fortress was rotating counterclockwise, Vyse banked starboard to avoid the cannons lining the back and to have a better shot at getting out. "Come on, Little Jack…You can do it…"

The Little Jack sailed through the closing gate with room to spare.

Vyse sighed in relief, then started as something collided with him from behind, which turned out to be Aika. "You broke through the Grand Fortress! That was amazing, Vyse!"

Vyse laughed. "Next time, I'm leaving through the other side of the gate. We didn't cut it nearly close enough!"

"You had me worried for a moment there. I thought you'd be a bit later than usual." Dyne chuckled.

The captain's rumbling voice came through the speaking tube. "Boy, I assume you know how to get back to your own base. That's where we're headed. I don't want to carry a dozen passengers any longer than I have to."

"Aye-aye, sir! Setting course for Pirate Isle!"

* * *

**A/N: FINALLY. I am so lazy it's not even funny. At least it's done. Hopefully the next chapter won't take this long, but I'm not making any promises. On the plus side, I thought of many funny things I can do in the story! …but not for many more chapters :(**

**The linearity of the entire Valua arcwhale is just silly. I mean, sure, there are plenty of other parts in the game that are as non-branching as this, but they're not nearly as annoyingly obvious about it! …Well, the Lower City wasn't that bad really.**

**A/N: Use the boost to get through! Next time: **_**Cyuuu~**_


	10. Chapter 9: One Up

**Chapter Nine: One Up**

It took a few days to get back to Pirate Isle, during which there was an attitude of good humor among the entire crew of the Little Jack, which, thanks to Drachma's policy of "I need my load as light as possible," was every person on it. When the green ship pulled into Pirate Isle's port, it didn't take long for a large party to start.

Before Vyse could join in, to his surprise, Fina intercepted him. "Excuse me, Vyse, could I talk to you for a moment?"

"Uh, sure. No problem."

"Thank you very much," Fina replied with a bow. Vyse thought this was a bit excessive, but decided not to comment.

A few minutes later, Vyse and Fina, along with Aika and Drachma, whom Fina had also asked to come with, were climbing up to Lookout Island. Once everyone had gathered on the island proper, Fina began to speak. "I wanted to tell you all…how much I…um..."

She trailed off, but Vyse felt he knew what she wanted to say, and responded accordingly. "Don't worry about it. The Valuans went to a lot of trouble to capture you; we just like making them mad!"

Evidently Vyse's sense of humor wasn't quite shared by Fina, as she seemed to have taken his comment seriously. Thankfully, Aika came to the rescue, as usual. "Don't mind him, Fina; he just tends to forget when to stop trying to be funny. You're our friend; of course we're going to help you as much as we can. Though…" Aika grinned evilly, and continued, "I wouldn't have minded staying there a bit longer. We didn't pick up nearly enough treasure while we were there!"

Vyse gasped in mock horror. "You wanted to stay in Valua? We only just got out of there with our lives!"

"Hey, it's an Air Pirate's duty to liberate any treasure that can help the needy!" Aika crossed her arms, pouting.

Fina giggled audibly. "A-anyway, I thought…" She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, a serious expression on her face. "I want you to know about my mission, and why the Valuans captured me. The El…the people who sent me said that I shouldn't trust anyone out here, but…you went to so much trouble to help me, when we just met, and…I…"

Vyse blinked a few times, then smiled. "Fina, whatever it is, I think we can help. If nothing else, I can at least promise you I'm not going to tell anyone else without your permission."

"Same here," said Aika. "We're Blue Rogues, helping people out is what we do best."

"Hrumph", growled Drachma, reminding Vyse and Aika of his presence. "I don't see why you're includin' me in this group of yours. In case you've forgotten, I'm plannin' on leavin' as soon as possible, and I don't think you can persuade me to go with you.

"I understand, Captain. However, from what Vyse and Aika have told me, your ship is designed to fight a rather unusual arcwhale." Vyse noticed that Fina's speech was now much more fluid…and formal. Perhaps the stuttering was a sign of friendship, in whatever weird culture she was from. "My quest will take me all over this world. It is quite possible that I and whoever I am traveling with will be forced to fight it."

'Hrumph…fine. I'm in for now, and I won't share your secrets, but I'm not makin' any promises about how long I'll ferry you kids around."

"Thank you, Captain." Fina bowed, then turned to Vyse and Aika. "Shall I begin?"

Vyse sat down, and as he did so, said, "Whenever you're ready, Fina."

"All right. To begin with…"

* * *

To begin with, I am a Silvite, a descendant of the Silver Civilization.

(Silver Civilization? Wait, are you talking about the Ancient World?)

Yes, Vyse. Hundreds of generations ago, the world was divided into six civilizations. One existed under each of the moons. Their true names have been forgotten, and are remembered only as the Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, and Purple Civilizations. The Silver Civilization is the only exception; however, it has always been called the Silver Civilization, so the distinction is immaterial.

_(You actually named yourselves the Silver Civilization? What kind of people would—Ow, don't hit me!)_

(Please continue, Fina.)

Each civilization learned how to harness the power of its moon by harnessing the Moon Stones as a source of energy. Over time, the process became an art form, and there was a period of great artistry across the world. There was a technological revolution as well, as the Moon Stones' powers revealed more of their secrets…but technology progressed faster than those wielding it.

The leaders of the civilizations became corrupt…and their ambition led to war. They used their technology to create weapons. These weapons are called "Gigas." They are gigantic living weapons that are capable of destroying islands.

_(I remember hearing something like this before…Didn't your mom tell stories like this, Vyse?)_

(Now that you mention it, I think she did. There was a giant, and a dragon…but I always figured they were just fairy tales.)

Some tales are legends in disguise. The Gigas are indeed real. When the Ancient Civilizations went to war, they unleashed the destructive power of the Gigas, and millions died.

But then…something awesome happened. No one is certain what caused the Rains of Destruction, but it was as if the moons themselves were watching our world, and cried out in sorrow at what their foolish children were doing. It was almost as if they wished to ensure that their gifts would never be misused again…The deaths that the Gigas caused were as nothing compared to how many perished in the Rains, and in the chaos that followed. The civilizations were reduced to rubble, and mere handfuls of survivors fought over what was left of their world…but even if the Rains had never happened, the Gigas would have ended the world anyway.

**(Hrumph. Your story doesn't add up. If the civilizations were all destroyed, how can you call yourself a member of one of 'em?)**

An excellent question. Through sheer luck, a few hundred Silvites managed to escape the destruction with their technology intact, but they had no way to rebuild the world, and so they decided to watch over the world, in secret, to ensure that the Gigas would never be used again; to ensure that there would never again be a reason for Rain to fall on the world. I am one of the descendants of those last hundred Silvites. But now…there are those who wish to reawaken the Gigas.

(Don't tell me…the Valuan Empire, right?)

Yes. In order to command the Gigas, it is necessary to use the Moon Crystals. These are highly concentrated forms of Moon Stone, thousands, perhaps millions of times more powerful than the raw ore from which they were made. The method of producing a Crystal has long since been lost, and only the original Crystals remain. The Silver Civilization never produced a Crystal, nor a Gigas, but there are still five crystals out there, each with the power to awaken a Gigas. They are hidden and protected well, but it is only a matter of time before one or more of the Crystals are discovered and misused.

_(So the Valuans kidnapped you to force you to help find them!)_

Indeed. I was sent here to gather the Crystals before the Valuans could find them and put them somewhere they could never be used again. Vyse…Aika…I have a favor to ask of you.

* * *

"I have a favor to ask of you. Will you travel with me in search of the Crystals? Even if I still had my ship, I don't think I could do it alone…and I don't want to think about what could happen if Valua managed to get even one of the Crystals…"

"Heh…Leave everything to us! We're with you, Fina!" Vyse replied cheerily.

Aika smirked slightly. "Yeah, I thought we'd already decided that! Guess this is your chance to see what's beyond that sunset, Vyse!" Before anyone could say any more, a sudden loud squeaking noise made Vyse and Aika jump. Even Drachma seemed to start a bit. "Er…Vyse? That wasn't your stomach, was it?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. You can come out now." Fina directed this comment at her arm, and, sure enough, something came out of her sleeve. It was some sort of large, silver blob creature, with a large mouth, two beady black eyes, a pair of stubby limbs, and a coiled tail. Fina watched Vyse and Aika stare at it (and Drachma, though he'd never admit to this) and blushed a bit. "This is Cupil. He's been with me as long as I can remember. He's a creature from my homeland called an Ommet, and can change his shape. Usually, he's shaped like a bracelet around my arm." Cupil watched everyone staring at him and squeaked cheerily.

Aika was the first to digest this information. "Hmm…you know, actually, he's kind of cute. It's nice to meet you, Cupil." Cupil squeaked in reply.

"All right, Captain, you said you were leaving tomorrow?" Vyse inquired. When Drachma nodded, he continued, "Then I guess we should start preparing, and I'll have to tell Mom and Dad that I'm leaving…but first things first: We're on the only shore leave we're likely to come by for a while, there's a party going on down there, and I haven't eaten anything yet! Let's go have some fun."

* * *

The next morning, Vyse packed up his things, then went downstairs to have breakfast. As he started eating, his father said, "What's wrong, Vyse? You're looking unusually grim today."

Vyse winced. "Ergh…there's something I have to tell you, Dad."

Dyne showed his son which side of the family he got his smirk from. "Don't worry…I have a feeling I already know what you're going to say. I remember when I was your age…when you're a sailor, the desire to leave your island to sail the skies is a part of you. But when a man decides to step out onto his own path, he doesn't need his parents' permission. From now on, you are my equal, son. A man who lives by the skies…there's nothing more honorable than that." He chuckled, then continued, "You're late on almost every other occasion, but you sure aren't wasting time to try and get out on your own."

"Dad…"

"Vyse, we know you well enough to figure it wouldn't be too long before you'd yearn to travel the skies by yourself." Vyse's mother smiled. "Everyone flies away from their parents' nest. It's only a matter of when."

"Mom…"

His mother shook her head. "It's okay, dear. I knew this day would be coming sometime. It's just a bit sooner than I'd expected…or hoped. Stand tall, son. Go chase after those dreams you've always been talking about. And make sure you take care of Aika, too, okay?"

Vyse smiled. "Of course, Mom."

He finished eating, and as he left, said over his shoulder, "We're leaving in a half hour, if you want to see us off."

As the door closed, his father shouted back, "Go on, get out of here, Vyse! Make your mark on the world!"

* * *

Vyse's parents came to see the Little Jack off anyway, if only to say farewell to Aika and Fina as well. "Thank you so much for rescuing me from the Valuans. I hope I will be able to repay all of you, someday."

"Just worry about finishing that quest of yours. And Vyse, make sure you help her out."

"Come on, Dad, why do you think I'm sailing with her?"

"We'll be back soon!" Aika shouted to the port at large. "Bye Cap'n! Bye everyone!"

As Vyse, Aika, and Fina boarded the ship, Fina asked, "Vyse…Aika…are you sure you want to do this?"

Vyse smirked. "Fina, there's no way we could turn this down. After what you told us about you-know-what, I don't want to think about what the Valuans would do with it. We're the only ones that can stop them. And, to be completely honest…" Vyse turned to face the wall that was the underground port's only entrance and exit. "I've always wanted to sail the world, and this is my chance. Mysterious artifacts, lost cities, strange lands…I want to see them all, with my own eyes! This is my chance to see what's really out there."

"Fina, you couldn't stop us if you tried," said Aika. "This is the kind of adventure Air Pirates dream of. If we passed this up, we'd regret it for the rest of our lives."

"…I understand. Thank you both!"

* * *

The Little Jack sailed towards Sailor's Island again, since there wasn't a crystal in the vicinity of Pirate Isle and Sailor's Pass was the safest way out of the region. Once it docked, there was some admiring of the Harpoon Cannon, which fortunately didn't interfere with the group leaving the docks. Drachma left to purchase some parts from the man that had dropped the information about the Harpoon Cannon, on the basis that giving away information for free like that made him more reliable than the other merchants. He told the other three to restock their other supplies and rent a pair of rooms at the inn for a day, which they did.

Inside one of the rooms, the three met up to plan their course. Vyse opened the conversation. "So, Fina, which of the crystals should we go for first?"

"Well, the closest crystals to this region should be…the Yellow and Red crystals of Valua and Nasr."

Aika groaned. "Urgh…Let's not go to Valua right now. We'd just get captured as soon as we got there. So where in Nasr are we headed?"

"The Temple of Pyrynn. It's in the middle of the desert somewhere, but I don't know where precisely."

"An ancient temple?" Vyse could swear Aika's eyes started glowing, and only experience kept him from stepping away from her like Fina. "I'll bet there's all kinds of treasure in there! Maybe some gold and clothes and magic stuff and gems and…and…stuff! If we found a bunch of it, we'd be rich! We could buy whatever we—"

There was a knock on the door, which turned out to be Drachma. "You kids figured out where you're goin' yet?"

"Yes, Cap'n. We're heading for the Temple of Pyrynn, wherever that is."

"Hrumph. I've heard of the place. The Little Jack should be able to get through the Nasrean reef without a problem, but if you're headed to Pyrynn, I'm stoppin' by Maramba first. I've got business there, nothin' urgent, but if you're makin' me go to the desert I may as well deal with it now."

"Understood, Captain. We'll head for Maramba tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, as the party was heading to the docks, Aika slapped her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot! Guys, we blew up Baltor the Scary's ship, right? Wasn't there a bounty in the Sailors' Guild?"

The guildmaster recognized them as they came in. "Ah, nice to see you again. I received word from our Nasrad office that not only did your escort mission go well, but your ship managed to do enough damage to Baltor's ship that it was out of commission for at least a week. Well done! I've got the bounty ready to pick up, but I'll need your names and signatures for our records." He saw the look on Drachma's face, and explained, "If someone claims a bounty they didn't actually fulfill, we need the paperwork in case there's a trial."

"Hrumph…fine. The name's Drachma Sparrow." The guildmaster pulled a form out of a drawer and wrote the name on it.

"Vyse…Inglebard."

"My condolences," replied the guildmaster absently.

"Aika Tompson. No 'h,'" she added quickly, before the guildmaster could put a typo on his sheet.

"Um…Fina Jones, but I wasn't there at the time." The guildmaster sighed and crossed out the name, then passed the sheet over to get the signatures, which he got quickly.

"All right, thank you very much. If you'll wait here a minute, I'll get your bounty out from storage." And that's exactly what he did.

* * *

After making sure that there wasn't anything else that had been nearly forgotten, the Rogues sailed out of the Sailor's Island port, following the Desert Reef once again. Mid-afternoon on the second day of sailing, Drachma spotted a landmark, and turned the Little Jack south. Navigating the Reef was a bit like fighting Baltor, but it took slightly longer. Once on the other side, it didn't take long for the desert to come into view.

"Wow, there's nothing but sand!" Aika said, staring at the dunes that brushed all the way to the edge of the continent.

"So this is a desert…" mused Vyse. "I've heard sailors talking about them before, but it's my first time actually seeing one."

"Now that you mention it…" Aika grinned devilishly. "I've heard that Nasr's deserts are so hot, if you walk around in the sun too long, your hair catches on fire! Everyone has to carry buckets of water around with them, so they can put their friends' hair out. And then…"

Vyse chuckled, watching Aika continue to tell sailor's tales to an intrigued Fina, complete with pantomiming. After a moment, he interrupted. "Come on, Aika, you don't actually believe any of those crazy stories, do you? Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of yours."

Aika pouted. "Don't come crying to me when your head bursts into flames. That eyepatch of yours is going to act like a magnifying glass, intensify the sun's rays, and fry your braaaaaaaaaaain!" She wiggled her fingers while saying the last part, which made Vyse and Fina laugh. After a moment, she joined in. "Yeah, I don't really believe any of that. It's just stories that I heard a long time ago. Buuut…you can't be too careful…" Another evil grin accompanied this. "So what do you know about the desert, Fina?"

"Not much…The Moon Stones that fall from the Red Moon give off a good deal of heat. In the concentrations that appear in this region, it's too hot for most plants to survive. Because of this, most of Nasr has been reduced to a barren wasteland."

"Yeah, that's pretty much all I know myself," said Vyse. "Nothing but rocks and sand for leagues, but if you know what you're looking for you can find some real treasures, or so it's said."

* * *

Near sunset, Vyse spotted a town in the distance, and alerted the captain. "Aye, that's Maramba. Get ready to dock, boy."

The Little Jack pulled into port, and Vyse, Aika, and Fina stepped off. But instead of having ropes tossed to them, like the normal docking procedure went, they instead got to see the Little Jack abruptly pull up, high enough that they couldn't get back on. It didn't take long for them to figure out what was happening, and Aika shouted, "Hey! At are you doing, Cap'n?"

Drachma opened one of the bridge's windows and shouted back, "This is where we part company. I've got my own quest to worry about. I've got to find Rhaknam."

"We're in the middle of the desert without a ship! How are we supposed to continue our mission?"

"That is not my concern. I have no interest in jewels or temples. I **must** find Rhaknam, and I can't waste any more time babysittin'." With that, he closed the window, and his ship pulled back, away from the dock.

Aika was not amused in the slightest. **"Hey! Come back here, you one-eyed freak! You rusty old man! Are you listening to me?"**

Vyse sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Let it go, Aika. If he's going to leave despite Fina doing everything short of saying 'Rhaknam ate one of the crystals,' there's nothing we can do to stop him." He paused, then asked, "_Did_ Rhaknam eat one of the crystals?"

Fina pondered this for a moment, then replied, "I don't…_think_ so, but I suppose it's possible…though that would probably make him a Gigas, and as he isn't terrorizing the skies at large…"

Aika sighed. "Well, one way or another, we're stuck here without a ship, and I'd rather not have to walk all the way to the temple."

"Me neither." Vyse shuddered. "I guess we'll just have to ask around and hope someone will take us…"

* * *

**A/N: Oh, WOW. Just WOW. I never believed it'd take me half a year to update this. Good news is, this has motivated me to attempt to hold to a semi-cohesive schedule! I'll try to update once a week or so, but again, no promises.**

**I hope you like my leaning on the fourth wall, and bear in mind that very few details that I release will never come up in any way ever again. Conspiracy theorists, start your engines!**

**A/N: Yelling is a very satisfying form of stress relief, as is humor. Expect more of each later on!**

**A/N: It can be disheartening when you don't hear from someone you care about for a while, but don't worry! True friends never forget about each other. Next time: Fina gets a cool hat, and promptly loses it.**


End file.
